Systems and methods of fast start-up and warm-up in turbocharged fuel cells

Abstract

Provided herein are systems and methods for improving warm-up times for fuel cells. A method of the present disclosure includes detecting, by one or more processors, a warm-up condition of a fuel cell, and controlling, by the one or more processors, a first valve and a second valve, to cause pressurized oxygen and pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to a catalytic converter arranged downstream from the fuel cell, to cause the catalytic converter to produce heat to be transferred to a coolant loop of the fuel cell, during the warm-up condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle, comprising:
 a storage configured to store pressurized hydrogen;   a compressor configured to pressurize oxygen from air received at an intake of the compressor;   a fuel cell comprising an anode loop fluidically coupled to the storage and configured to receive the pressurized hydrogen therefrom and a cathode loop configured to receive the pressurized oxygen;   a catalytic converter arranged downstream from the anode loop, the catalytic converter configured to receive the pressurized hydrogen from the storage and receive at least one of recovered oxygen from the oxygen used by the cathode loop or pressurized oxygen from the compressor;   a first valve arranged downstream from the storage, the first valve configured to control a flow of the pressurized hydrogen from the storage to the anode loop or to the catalytic converter;   a second valve fluidically coupled to the compressor, the second valve configured to control a flow of the pressurized oxygen from the compressor to the cathode loop or to the catalytic converter; and   a processing circuit comprising one or more processors and memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processing circuit to:
 detect a warm-up condition of the fuel cell; and 
 control the first and the second valve, to cause the pressurized oxygen and the pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to the catalytic converter, to cause the catalytic converter to produce heat to be transferred to a coolant loop of the fuel cell, during the warm-up condition. 
   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger arranged to transfer heat produced by the catalytic converter to the coolant loop of the fuel cell. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
 determine that a temperature condition of the fuel cell satisfies a threshold criteria indicating termination of the warm-up condition; and   control the first valve and the second valve to cause the pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to the anode loop of the fuel cell, and to cause the pressurized oxygen to be supplied to the cathode loop, responsive to termination of the warm-up condition.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein the temperature condition of the fuel cell is determined using a sensor arranged to measure a temperature of the coolant loop. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein the first valve is configured to fluidically couple the storage to at least one of a first path to the anode loop or a second path to the catalytic converter, and wherein the second valve is configured to fluidically couple the compressor to at least one of a third path to the cathode loop or a fourth path to the catalytic converter. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein, during the warm-up condition, the first valve fluidically couples the storage to the second path and the second valve fluidically couples the compressor to the fourth path. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the catalytic converter is battery powered. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a battery electrically coupled to the compressor, to supply power to the compressor during the warm-up condition. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulator fluidically coupled between the storage and the anode loop of the fuel cell, the pressure regulator configured to regulate a pressure of the pressurized hydrogen for supplying to the anode loop or the catalytic converter. 
     
     
         10 . An energy system for a vehicle, the energy system comprising:
 a storage configured to store pressurized hydrogen;   a compressor configured to pressurize oxygen from air received at an intake of the compressor;   a fuel cell comprising an anode loop fluidically coupled to the storage and configured to receive the pressurized hydrogen therefrom and a cathode loop configured to receive the pressurized oxygen;   a catalytic converter arranged downstream from the anode loop, the catalytic converter configured to receive the pressurized hydrogen from the storage and receive at least one of recovered oxygen from the oxygen used by the cathode loop or pressurized oxygen from the compressor;   a first valve arranged downstream from the storage, the first valve configured to control a flow of the pressurized hydrogen from the storage to the anode loop or the catalytic converter;   a second valve fluidically coupled to the compressor, the second valve configured to control a flow of the pressurized oxygen from the compressor to the cathode loop or the catalytic converter; and   a processing circuit comprising one or more processors and memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processing circuit to:
 detect a warm-up condition of the fuel cell; and 
 control the first and the second valve, to cause the pressurized oxygen and the pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to the catalytic converter, to cause the catalytic converter to produce heat to be transferred to a coolant loop of the fuel cell, during the warm-up condition. 
   
     
     
         11 . The energy system of  claim 10 , further comprising a heat exchanger arranged to transfer heat produced by the catalytic converter to the coolant loop of the fuel cell. 
     
     
         12 . The energy system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
 determine that a temperature condition of the fuel cell satisfies a threshold criteria indicating termination of the warm-up condition; and   control the first valve and the second valve to cause the pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to the anode loop of the fuel cell, and to cause the pressurized oxygen to be supplied to the cathode loop, responsive to termination of the warm-up condition.   
     
     
         13 . The energy system of  claim 12 , wherein the temperature condition of the fuel cell is determined using a sensor arranged to measure a temperature of the coolant loop. 
     
     
         14 . The energy system of  claim 12 , wherein the first valve is configured to fluidically couple the storage to at least one of a first path to the anode loop or a second path to the catalytic converter, and wherein the second valve is configured to fluidically couple the compressor to at least one of a third path to the cathode loop or a fourth path to the catalytic converter. 
     
     
         15 . The energy system of  claim 14 , wherein, during the warm-up condition, the first valve fluidically couples the storage to the second path and the second valve fluidically couples the compressor to the fourth path. 
     
     
         16 . The energy system of  claim 10 , wherein the catalytic converter is battery powered. 
     
     
         17 . The energy system of  claim 10 , further comprising a battery electrically coupled to the compressor, to supply power to the compressor during the warm-up condition. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by one or more processors, a warm-up condition of a fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell comprises an anode loop and a cathode loop; and   controlling, by the one or more processors, a first valve and a second valve, to cause pressurized oxygen and pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to a catalytic converter arranged downstream from the fuel cell, to cause the catalytic converter to produce heat to be transferred to a coolant loop of the fuel cell, during the warm-up condition; wherein:   the first valve is configured to control a flow of the pressurized hydrogen from a hydrogen source to the anode loop or to the catalytic converter; and   the second valve is configured to control a flow of the pressurized oxygen from a compressor to the cathode loop or the catalytic converter.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising supplying, via a battery electrically coupled to the compressor, electrical power to the compressor during the warm-up condition. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more processors, that a temperature condition of the fuel cell satisfies a threshold criteria indicating termination of the warm-up condition; and   controlling, by the one or more processors, the first valve and the second valve to cause the pressurized hydrogen to be supplied to the anode loop of the fuel cell, and to cause the pressurized oxygen to be supplied to the cathode loop, responsive to termination of the warm-up condition.